Desert Melody
by Aisuma
Summary: 2 Shots Valentine Special: Lonely desert nights are meant to be spent with someone while listening to the harmony. Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto
1. Desert Melody

_**Desert Melody**_

The night air is cold and bitter, which is a great contrast to the humid heat and beating sun of the day. Even the usually burning sand is set to just a simmer. Even the heart of one desert shinobi is not set a blaze as it usually is. Just like days in Suna, her heart started off burning, but now is beginning to freeze.

The desert rose. The best way to describe Temari. No not the flowering plant found in tropical regions, but the crystal found in deserts. Yes a crystal with a formation of gypsum and barite that assumes the shape of petals. That is how Temari feels as her eyes stare into the moon. A dirty rock only trying to take on the form of a beautiful rose.

Ever since the day the blonde was born she was tough. A hard personality. A person born as a warrior with a large amount of responsibilities. As a child from a village that has born itself on quality ninjas rather than quantity. As the daughter of the Kazekage, many responsibilities were to be expected. She was to be a strong shinobi. A soldier of Sand superior to most, if not all other sand ninjas.

The young sand rose sits on top of a roof. Her fan closed and across her knee so that she can watch her reflection from the glistening moon. Her mind thinks back to younger days. Before she knew of all her obligations. At the time the girl went along with her father's request to be an elite fighter. With each training session, her body grew stronger and taller. She grew fiercer. Yet the usual repercussions for power is loneliness. The desert crystal succeeds in being a rock, but it fails in being a rose. Temari continuously succeeds in being a warrior, but as woman she fails.

The girl lets out a chuckle in this forlorn night. So what if she couldn't be with somebody? So what if she didn't know how to? The kunoichi prefers to be a warrior. To feel the lust of battle. To face off against an opponent with uncertainty where she must use her mind as much as her body to get victory. That feeling is what the desert rose lives for. That's what makes her petals bloom.

Yet the blonde still feels lonesome. "It's only because it's Valentine's Day. Besides I have so many obligations. It's not really my fault." The girl mutters to herself letting her turquoise eyes settle on the glimmering iron. To a degree it's true. As the Kazekage child she's expected to excel. Her training became much more rigorous when it was decreed she couldn't go to the chuunin exams a year ago. Luckily this year she was able to go and compete. Even though she suffered a humiliating win, things got complicated during the exams to say the least. "I'll get that slothful deer next time." Temari growls to herself clutching her closed fan tightly.

Her analytic mind continues on it's reflection of the past. A good amount of her time has always been spent on her sleepless brother. Always constantly and fearfully watching him to make sure his horrible side is not awakened. Because of that she could never really ask any boys out. They were too afraid. Who wouldn't be? To try and ask out a girl whose father is the strongest ninja in the village and whose brother is constantly three grains of sand away from becoming the ultimate terror. It is only because of a coin flip that Kankuro was able to be released from watching the demonic child tonight. Heads for him and tails for Temari. He had better luck tonight…or a two headed coin.

The girl lets out a smirk and glares at her reflection in the steel weapon. Who would want to go out with her anyway? It's not like she's Suna's top model or the next kunoichi to be featured in Icha Icha Special Edition. Her blonde locks were just tangles and knots, intermingled with sand. Pulled back and tied into four wild pony tails. There was a time when the girl had her hair cut short, but she wanted to try and be more feminine so she let it grow out. It began to get in the way during battle so she tied it back to get out of the way. Her skin, although free from any sort of life lasting scars, is still tough and hard as a male's. Her hands are not very soft, but calloused from months of training. Even her fingernails didn't hold any cute color such as robin's egg blue or maroon, but just a constant layer of sand.

It isn't like she made up with it with personality either. Besides her brothers, the blonde is brutal to everyone. If her devil of a sibling could not scare off a boy (which probably meant they were suffering from sort of mental sickness) then Temari easily would. The girl knew it too. Not that she wanted to, but this side of her just came out. Any man who has fought her could tell you of her cruel tendencies. It's ok though. Temari's a warrior. A fighter. That's all she ever wants to be. The thrill of battle is all she needs.

Yet sometimes she wishes to know what it would be like to be treated like a normal flower. Although these feelings only come around this day of the year. Where many in the village go around with their soul mates, holding hands, kissing cheeks, and grabbing personal parts. Even the puppeteer tonight is out having his fun with a kunoichi. The sand flower's demonic brother won't even spend time with her. His own mind lures him out to gaze at the white orb in the sky by himself.

Those aquamarine pupils turn from her reflection in disgust and look towards the stars. She is a desert rose. Her hair is not glossy with an unusual yet alluring color and her eyes are not captivating like leaf's spring flower. Her hair is not extremely long nor her skin soft like leaf's autumn flower or sound's silent bell. Nor is she gentle like the Hyuuga outcast or the accurate loner. She could not seduce the tragic survivor or the pompous genius. Can't even grab the attention of the sloth, the insect, or the drop outs.

It's ok though. Temari would rather be a fighter. Beating the crap out of all of them would be much more pleasing than alluring them. A desert rose she is. If the blonde had to choose between her hardness and petals then she'd choose to be solid.

As the silence of the night proceeds, the humming of someone is joined with the sound the sand makes in the wind. The desert wind's analytical mind first thinks that it is her brother who suffers from insomnia. Yet that doesn't make sense. Why would he hum?

The girl twists her body to a surprise. A body shrouded in mystery like how the sand hides its victims. Cameo pants and a robe with sleeves far to long for the ninja. Bandages conceal everything, but the left eye and a fur lay on this hunchback figure. The headband shows he's from the village that is located in Rice Field country. The boy stays a few meters away from the girl, paying attention to the blonde for an instant and then returning to his humming. Dosu also stares at the moon. Normally Temari would stay silent and ignore such a broken person, but hours of brooding and bitterness has made her lips eager for a bit of exercise.

"Aren't you supposed to be dead? Didn't my brother…" the kunoichi began, but is cut off by the bandaged shinobi. "That became an interesting development. You'd be surprised how much a few seconds can make a difference.". "So why aren't you enjoying Valentine's with anyone?" the blonde continues to ask allowing one of her pupils to shift on the boy. "Not my style. I don't really have the look for it. Halloween is more fitting for me." the sound boy replies getting a tiny grin out of Temari. Whether the comment was meant to be funny or not, only the furred ninja knows. So the rigid conversation continues.

Any passing by ninja on survailance or patrol would probably think of the absurdity of the two. "Whose that mongrel with the sand princess?" most would probably say. Yet perhaps it isn't as absurd as it seems.

Ever since that fated day where Dosu had to adorn his bandages, he's been alone. Rather he prefers it. For the most part he has kept fateful to that. There were his teammates, but there is only so far the three would allow each to know one another. Even though Dosu, the gold bell, and the loyal wolf are teammates, the three couldn't be anymore alone. Each have their own agenda. Dosu. He is a warrior. A tune far astray from any other melodies. The excitement of battle is what he loves. To plunge himself into the unknown, the mystery and observe it. To see if his miserable body will allow him to live another day or if his eulogy would be sung the following day. That is the enjoyment this lost melody gets. To kill warriors until eventually he could be strong enough to return the favor of those that confined him to a mummified state. Friends? Companionship? There is no need for that. Not for a merciless fighter such as himself.

As it is for any two fighters, the blood begins to boil and the thirst for battle consumes. Only the two ninja that stare at the moon know the full situation of their conversation. To the rest of any audience we will never know who started it. It is fact though that Temari picks up her iron fan and Dosu reveals his musical weapon.

So the desert flower and the lost melody give in to their primal instincts of violence, murder and enjoyment.

Next to be heard is the sound of sand. The clashing of a strange desert melody. Temari's constant battle cries as her device unleashes waves after waves of devastating wind. The wind that conjures up sandstorms and makes the whole area a dusty haze of minerals. Dosu's constant advances within the darkness of Suna's night, like some type of shadowed fox or shady leopard. His attacks need no battle cry like the kunoichi's. They are just swift, silent, and deadly. His attack almost reaches the blond, but to no avail. Despite his crippled look, Temari is beginning to realize Dosu is no push over. She doesn't know how his move works, but it can be a knock out if she gets attacked by it. Her mind quickly tries to analyze the most probable distance and speed that his invisible attack can work. Of course this is no guarantee. She's yet to see everything the sound shinobi can do. The girl then lets her tounge cross her lips, brushing away the sand sticking to it. This is the battle she's been waiting for. A battle that she hasn't had in a while. Not a battle where she can easily crush her opponent like in the second part of the chuunin exams. Nor and enemy that easily outmatches her like the avenger. A battle similar to the one with the shadow sloth. One where she can be mentally and physically wasted after the match. A battle where she can unleash the inner beast in her heart and hold nothing back.

Another explosion of wind, sand and fury sends Dosu a few meters back. It would not be an easy battle. Interesting is much better a word. Training with his rabid teammate has gotten the bandage shinobi used to long rage fighting as well as wind like attacks. Long rang has never been easy for him. Yet that's what makes the kill even more enjoyable. Especially an opponent like her, who can examine his movements within seconds and calculate her next attack. Someone who wouldn't just die within the first few seconds of battle. A fighter who he can finally release and awaken the darkness in his soul and attack in full fury. To know that once he's killed this person he'd have actually fought a warrior.

Through the dust storm and the whirling blaze of sand. Through the columns of winds, the sound boy prepares to unleash wrath upon his adversary.

Tens of minutes pass. Neither retreating. Both unrelenting. The two like chess pieces trying to reach the end of the board on the other's side and attain victory. Temari uses her wind weapon for an aerial advantage. Causing that small sandstorm to blind the boy would be a good enough cover to get enough altitude. Or so she thought. When a hand burst through her second moon, the sand girl lets out a yelp of surprise. The weight of two persons on a weapon made for one body eventually catches up and the two fall like stones into the sandy ground. Perfect time for ambush in the dust balls of sand. His own eye has already assess as to where Temari's body would be as they fell back to the land. What the sound warrior did not take into consideration is this sand amazon's violent temper. Reaching the area to find no one his mind realizes the blonde is a step ahead of him. She is standing there with a malevolent glare, the fan fully open and the most left moon punched out. She cries out the name of a jutsu and the strongest whirlwind yet drives towards the hunched warrior. He tries to block the attack with his own weapon. The wind continues to push him, trying to entangle him in windy death. The pressure finally cuts into the boy's melody weapon unleashing a horrible screech that would lead Dosu to the next advantage. The ninth explosion tonight is heard in Suna.

Dozen's of minutes pass by. No time for Temari to think of her enternal wounds that brought her to the moon tonight. No time for Dosu to contemplate his scars that never heal that were engraved into him years ago. There is only time to attack, defend or evade, evaluate and attack again. Minutes, seconds, mili seconds continue to pass until finally an hour and a quarter pass by. The sound of battle and war subsiding. The building they were on torn and broken in by sand and sound. The only reason it didn't fully collapse is because the battle moved on to a sandy battlefield where lovers looking for a good look at the moon had to flee.

The air glistening with raining sand, the mummy like boy falls on his posterior. He still keeps torso up, but just barely. His robe lace with rough cuts from the wind. The melody arm in no better condition. The weapon discarded somewhere within the sand. The bandages on his face almost intact, except for a few loose pieces on top of his head showing some dark brown hair. Another bandage falls off revealing his right eye, which is a weird curelean color.

The desert princess in no better condition. Her own attire ripped and stretched. A small trickle of blood trails from her right ear down her cheek. She uses her steel fan, which is now closed, to aid in standing, but that is to no avail when the girl crashes down on her knees in front of her opponent. Yet still it is not over. Both minds calculating distance, both parties with a swift hand and both with a weapon. At each other's throats, Temari holding shurikien and Dosu gripping a kunai.

Now that the boiling blood of battle runs dry in both of their bodies. Their frames perspiring like waterfalls and breathing as if the next breath maybe their last. It is a fight both of them have been searching for a while. Even though both have to concede to a draw neither will forget the battle.

Dosu has to plant both his hidden arms in the sand to keep his upper torso propped up. Temari's head falls on his lap. She doesn't bother to pull herself up though. There was no danger. For now their warrior hearts are kindred. Besides he's too tired to move either. Together they gaze at the moon as the wind picks plays with some of the sand.

"Where's your Valentine?" the sound shinobi utters his first words in the past hour. Temari takes her eyes off the moon to look into the boys brown and blue pupils. "This isn't really my style either. Guys are supposed to ask girls to be their Valentine. No one has asked me, so here I am." the sand rose tells him, still gasping for air. A few minutes of silence and viewing the scenary pass. "Well then will you be my Valentine?" Dosu asks nonchalntly. This causes the peach face of the girl to suddenly take on a rosy color. No boy has ever asked her anything like this before! A true shock to her system that leaves her mouth about to babble like a two year old.

"I..uhh..we-well…"

"Unless you don't want to. Perhaps you're just waiting for someone else."

"N-No.. I mean yes..I mean sure."

With that the bandaged boy nods and return to his stargazing. It's hard for anyone to tell whether he was happy, mad, sad or anything because the bandages seem specifically made to deter anyone from guessing whatever emotions the sound ninja is thinking. "So where are you carrying me? Or what are we going to do now?" the girl asks, her eyes trying to count all the celestial objects in the sky. The furred boy lets out a curious sound. The kunoichi never really meant anything by the comment. Just a passing thought she had the urge to release. Yet when her company says that perhaps there is something it surprises her. Suppressed feminine feelings begin to surface as anxiety to know the boy's plan takes over. Temari asks him, not as gentle as she planned, forgetting how tired her body is and arching her head up.

The sudden movement of this wild cat catches Dosu off guard. His grounded arms lose their placement and it's either fall backwards or try and catch himself falling forwards. Well unfortunately, or perhaps luckily, he decides to go forward. So as one head ascends, the other descends and for grain of sand in time Temari receives her first kiss ever.

A strong forearm pushes Dosu back as Temari tries to compose herself, which is almost impossible at the time. The warrior and woman within at a conflict of feelings. Her first kiss! Well maybe not legitiment. I mean it was unexpected and his mouth is covered by a good layer of bandages. She could not taste him, although for that second she did feel him.

"Taste him? What the hell is going through my mind." The kunoichi frivously wonders. Other thoughts, new thoughts that she's never had before run like flowing sand dunes through her mind. Did he enjoy it? Was I ok? I should have had some lip gloss on me. I probably got sand on his bandages. Her thoughts would keep trying to exceed the speed of light if her acquaintance didn't break the train of thought.

"Well?"

His lone word breaks her into another volley of infant sentences. The masked boy just stares at her, no bodily expression giving away his thoughts on what just occurred. "Shall we continue?" the boy boldly states. The blond slightly bewildered by his statement with other thoughts running through her mind that she would consider ridiculous a few minutes ago. Thoughts of if he wants to continue, whether she should continue, who should move in first. Be subtle, be aggressive?

While Temari continues to use her analytical mind to calculate her next decision, Dosu returns to his feet. What thoughts are rushing through his head no one will ever know. There is one thing that is surely on his mind though. Battle. His eye finds just what he was looking for. The boy picks up his deadly instrument and equips back to his arm. Temari still isn't too sure what to make of these feelings, but a battle is one thing she knows for certain. The girl picks up her metallic weapon and the two once again are at a stand off in the sandy arena.

Despite the hardened exterior she shows tonight she's almost glad. For once Temari feels like a girl. This has been her best valentine's day in all of her fifteen years. Actually it's been the only one that she's celebrated. She's found a strong adversary. Not a person who is afraid of her or her family. Not one who is weak and can't last. A person who has brought out both the warrior and woman within her simultaneously. It amazes her that this crippled youth, and not a Uchiha or Hyuuga, would be the one to do this to her. Enough of those whimsical thoughts though.

Temari must be a desert rose first which is why she opens out the giant fan behind her back. Dosu pulls the sleeve up on his arm letting the moonlight radiate off his weapon. They both are warriors and even though the blood ran cold for a while, like a volcano it begins to burn again for battle. That and being alone were the two things they could agree on. Well not being alone tonight anyways.

"Let's continue where we left off. I don't like to draw."

"Heh. Nor do I. Time to finish you."

"Ohh and Happy Valentine's Day."

"Same to you. Now come."

Once again the collision of sand and sound could be heard throughout the night. Their own little dance that only these two warriors can comprehend. Until the sun rises the desert melody could be heard throughout the night.


	2. 32 Notes On Suna Nights

**A/N:** Trying out a different format like what I did with 'Winners and Losers'. For everyone that has been hoping for an update of this short story, I hope this live up to expectations.

_**32**__** Notes on Suna Nights**_

The melody played that night on Valentine's Day is one that would be remembered, but did not necessarily mean that was the end. It actually became the first note of a tune that would be played for the next couple of days. The intricacy of this tune may be rather complex so it'll be easier to break it up note by note.

It was on the first note that the Suna's maiden and Oto's mysterious knight met. Two warriors unable to speak what they mean so instead use their might to communicate. A vicious life threatening battle entailed. Yet as wild and as deadly this game was, that was what made their desert melody so special.

So by the second note when both bodies lay exhausted and worn out a few words were exchanged and the sand princess receives feelings that makes her barriers fall. Torn between conflicting emotions of woman and warrior she became the happiest ninja in Suna that night. Their melody continued until dawn.

Dosu left returning back to the task assigned to him before taking that break. At best he thinks of it as freak chance. A gamble the dice rolled that turned out in his favor. Not that he was in love. Far from it. Life experience has thought him to be wary of that feeling. Still a battle like that doesn't occur all the time, especially with both contestants surviving. So he grins to himself thinking that it was a good thing that he did not pass up that once in a life time chance. This is all that he made of it. A once in a life time meeting, thus creating the third note.

Temari on the other spectrum had a much different thinking. Her arrival on the roof that night was loneliness, but it was brought on by Kankuro's teasing. In three weeks would be a party that the children of the departed Kazekage must attend. It is supposed to be an event to help break the tension between the daimyo and the sand village. It would also discuss the decision of a new Kazekage. Basically she or her brothers did not need to be there. They are only expected to go to show face. Most of the males of Wind country being afraid to ask the diva to this gathering disturbed the blonde's mind. That and the middle child of trio gave a bit of teasing against this desert flower, especially since he would be going with a little green leaf. It was only playful mocking, but it hit the sand rose harder than even she expected and then Valentine's Day came. She believed to be alone yet again on Valentine's, but then he came. This mummy like person, who is not like anyone she's ever met. One who has seen the malice of her brother, lived to tell the tale and has not went insane. Well at least the kunoichi hopes not. That is when the idea hit her. If no one in this dusty village could understand her feelings, then hopefully this mysterious youth of sound could. Even though quiet his mind seemed to understand the warrior within her heart. Maybe he could understand more. Not only that but she'd also have someone at this celebration to show the rest of those males what they were missing out on. The only way to know for sure though would be to see him again and not on the battle field. It would be a different battle that the gem of Suna has never been on before. Temari is a warrior. She won't back down from any battle regardless of the new tactics she'd have to use. To confirm these new feelings the blonde will have to prolong and plan. On the fourth note the kunoichi decided to go through with the plan.

All through the fifth note Temari constructs her plan to ensnare the ninja that ensnared the trapped girl within her. Now she knew he'd have to return through Suna or most likely. His direction wasn't carrying him back to his homeland so for wherever he was going the sand village was probably the quickest path there. Why else would he risk going through this village considering sand and sound are not on speaking terms to say the least. Hopefully then he would return the same path and she can ambush him.

The sixth note continues the plan which the young kunoichi must have perfect. See the wind mistress knows two things that may work against her. 'A' she's not a normal girl. Sure she may have some of the most beautiful kimonos to wear, but she doesn't really giggle. Nor does she jump at site of bugs or something gross or just swoon over a new bag or new shoes. Temari is a warrior first. Besides she's also the daughter of one of the greatest leaders to Suna. She could buy almost anything in the village if need be. Still that didn't mean Dosu is a normal boy either. It would be hard enough to go out with someone since the sand diva does not know the rules of one on one courting. Her target though most likely did not fall into the genre of boys who likes petit bodies with boobs the size of cantaloupes and have liking for pink clothing and flower picking. They were both different from the norm. So her plan can be a hit or miss. It would be a total miss if he had a significant other already, but now was not the time to think about that.

A few nights later, when the seventh note occurs and there is only a fourth of the moon seen in the sky, the masked shinobi moves swiftly and quietly like a bat over the sandy rooftops of Suna. The plan now is to head back quickly to Oto uninterrupted. That would not occur because one person stood in his path at the same rooftop he found her a few nights previous. His old partner in their game of snake and mongoose, life and death. The masked shinobi let a smirk across his face that only he and the demons below would know of. "Perhaps a twice in a lifetime meeting?" the hunched fighter muses to himself. Well that didn't matter if it is fate or some stray chance. It didn't take much coaxing to get these adversaries to pull out their weapons and return to their epic struggle from a few nights before.

Temari has a plan though. When the eighth note resonates, the wind mistress makes a wager that is of great significance on both sides. If she lost, Dosu could ask anything of the tornado maker. Even her life. In return he has to make the same wager. Anything could be asked of the furred boy. Surprisingly he takes the gamble. To truly risk everything in an epic battle to an opponent. That gave him the most pleasure in a battle. To finally prove to see who is greater. Death would probably be the outcome of this battle. Yet isn't that the fate of all warriors? Dosu's mind perceives it that way. Besides what more has he got to lose? This life? It's already been lost. There would be no worries. So once again the two clash making that violent yet beautiful melody in the night. Unfortunately what Dosu has not anticipated is that this meeting was expected. Temari is willing to fight, but she needs to win this time. This is why the surrounding area is laid with traps to deter the ghastly ninja.

So by the ninth note on the ninth explosion the mummy shinobi fell as if returning to his tomb to never rise again. He curses himself so much for his folly. Why didn't he take into account that she would probably be prepared this time? Why did he think it would be a single straight forward match with no initial advantage to the other? What even made it worse is that the little rose hair brat had warned him about the damn weasel and still he fell for it. A loss and near death experience to this kunoichi's brother. Now a quick defeat by the sand vixen. This family just seems to have his number. This time though there would be no few seconds difference, no intervention, and no ghastly ghoul to haunt the living. This time this ghost permanently rests in a sandy grave.

The tenth note plays and shows that the lost melody is ready to play his last note. "Just finish me…" he mutters letting his vision towards the partially lit sky as his body lay defeated in the sand. The teal eye girl closes her metallic weapon to lean against it cocking a small grin between gasping breaths. "I can't just kill you as yet. You have to uphold your part of deal. I can ask anything of you right?"

"Then what is it that you want? Information? That is about as much as I can give you."

"You can take off those bandages for me."

"…"

"Well?"

"Why don't you just kill me instead?" the sound boy says in an ordering voice hoping to not unravel his mystery. Besides if she kills him the kunoichi could disband his corpse from the corpse instead and he wouldn't have to deal with that trauma. His mind considering all routes and escape paths that he could make a break for. His own feelings on keeping his word and the ambiguity of his nature beginning to clash over the grave choice. Exactly what Temari would hope to happen. It was only an assumption, but one whose face is shrouded by bandages must be sensitive about their looks. It is a question of great difficulties, which would make the next question a little bit easier for him to answer with a likable outcome.

"Or maybe there is something else you can do…."

"Ok. I'll do that then."

"It's much simpler than the first proposition. Just go out with me."

The eleventh note is silent as the sound shinobi takes in the wind mistress's other proposal. "Is it a joke?" the mysterious ninja thinks to his self. She did turn away from him during mid speech. What type of ploy is she trying to pull? In actuality the blonde turned away so Dosu could not see the red hue on her face. Never before in her dreams did she think it is so hard to ask a simple question to another person. The sand diva almost felt badly now for the few boys that actually had the grapefruits to ask her out, but she turned down in her past. "Excuse me. I didn't quite get that. What is my alternative?" the Oto representative states.

"I said instead of taking off your bandages……you could be my escort to a function here.", the wind diva replies, her voice shaking and wavering a bit with each word of the sentence. Most people may not have had a problem with either choice. To the furred ninja though, this is a hard choice. Risk death by showing himself at some celebration where his enemies would be all around or discard the veil that shrouds his identity. It is like either choosing between your arm and your head. It would hurt, but his head is far more important. "Ok I'll go to this function with you." the one eye ninja states returning to his feet. "When is it?" "Be back here in this spot in two weeks. And come unwrapped." the desert princess states. So the deal is struck and the date is set between the flower and melody, creating the twelfth note.

The thirteenth note plays the next few embarrassing and hectic days of Temari. She got through the first step based on much calculation and assumption, but now comes the real battle. The actual date. The sand kunoichi would have to delve into all her sources to figure out how to do this affair called 'date'. Her pursuit did not go unnoticed. The desert demon, marionette user and their clothed mentor all notice something awry within her personality. Gaara didn't care and Kankuro would harass her a bit, but neither knew what the problem was. Baki did though. A problem he would hope his mind would not have to put up with. He's a teacher, this sort of situation should be their father's job, but he's no longer around. Still the clothed man would allow Temari to control her own affairs for now. I mean how bad could this person be? Probably some Suna boy who will be her companion to the congregation. Well at least that is what the jounin believes.

Note fourteen is the night to when the desert rose would meet her lost melody. Not in the usual warrior's armor with her weapon that can lay waste to houses. Tonight her firm body rests within a dark gold kimono that has a design of light goldenrod fans and white flowers and a sash just a tint lighter. The sandy blonde hair that is usually haphazardly bound in four ponytails is now neatly combed and neatly lies upon her shoulders and neck. The golden locks give off a new radiance that only a princess could do.

Note fifteen plays for the enigmatic knight that will be accompanying the wind princess tonight. His own demeanor slightly different. There is no fur adorning his spine tonight. Instead a kimono in black with a lion, outlined in white, on the back. Below the kimono is another shirt with a hood. This hood is also a dark color and is garnished over his skull preventing anyone from sneaking a glance at his enigmatic face. His body is still slumped over, still giving off that eerie nature of his. The Rice Country youth may have been the perfect escort if it wasn't for his spinal problem. Well that would be what most young teenage damsels would say. Temari has a different view though.

And the views the two shinobi have for each other is what forms the sixteenth note. Temari didn't think the bandaged boy would come to impress for this occasion. She expected the ghoulish attire created from battle and life's stresses. Not such secretive, yet suave attire. Dosu has similar thoughts. Not that he didn't expect a change into attire fit for royalty. She is the Kazekage's daughter after all. Still its mind blowing to know this face before him now is the same one that has nearly destroyed him in their short past. After a minute of admiring the other, the wind flower is the first to speak. Putting on the best grin to cover her own trembling nerves, she speaks. "Well, you ready?" "Hmm. Aren't you afraid of me being too close to you? I am the enemy. I could kill you." the hooded teen responds, his face veiled behind the cloth and darkness. "That is true. Still would you risk doing that within my own village by yourself? Besides a little danger makes it more interesting. I'm a little surprised you came though. Aren't you afraid with all us sand shinobi around?"

"A little danger makes it more interesting." the youth replies and the two set forth to the event.

The large assembly of citizens from the ages of preteens to past elderly, from shinobi to civilians, upper class to lower class. This giant convention marks the beginning of the seventeenth note. None were surprised to see the desert demon alone at this congregation. His own nature would probably prefer it that way also. Many were surprised to see the puppet maker, out of his usual garb (but still with the face paint) there with leaf's accurate dragonfly. All were surprised to see the wind enchantress with this druid like person. Whoever it is is not scary. Just suspicious. No one knows who it is from the sand village. Many of the young males began looking around trying to count all their friends they know to see who is missing. That person might just be the mystery underneath the hood. Most just want to know what person had the balls to be with the violent wind warrior not only within range of her brothers, but in target of their sensei and council. Most of the members of Suna's highest ranks paid little attention to this. They have more important things to discuss with the daimyo. Baki did not let it go unnoticed though. His could perceive that familiar slouching posture to realize this person is not from the sand village and quite possibly from an enemy village. Which only makes him wonder just what the little kunoichi thinking is? "The councilmen will never let me hear the end of this if they find out." the sand jounin thinks to his self rubbing his head out of agitation. This is why he sent the other two siblings to just 'check up' on their dear sister.

The metallic beat of gears and bolts within the doll controller's head is the creation of eighteenth note. Kankuro had left his little green leaf for a few minutes to scope out this date of Temari's. He could not wait to harass her for the next couple of months over this. His big bad sister could not find a suitable date for this so had to find some type of closet pervert. He meets his blonde sibling in the middle of a dance with her attendant. "So Temari who is this dashing guy?" the paint wearing teen states sarcastically. "You must be Temari's brother. I can tell by the stylish scribbles on your face. But where's your dolly? I thought it was like a security blanket that you always kept with you. Are you using something or someone else as that security blanket?" the kunoichi's companion states. The two have a few more gentle unkind words for each other. Luckily for the foreign child, his blonde associate is there to support. After five minutes they leave the shinobi with his face paint crinkled upon his skin a slight headache. He could only wish that his dad was still among the living to deal with the situation instead of him. Well now that the puppet maker takes a second thought perhaps it is better that his beloved father rests below the sand. How he would react would to not only Temari's, but his date…. Well maybe it's better not to think of that.

The desert princess had inspected Kankuro and Baki to say something about Dosu. She had that in mind tonight and was partially prepared for the encounter. What she didn't expect is for her youngest brother to also come snooping. It is his existence within their business that makes the melody for the nineteenth note. Even the golden hair kunoichi could see that these two meeting could not turn out well…with the worst of it happening to her date. The emotionless face stares into the hood of the mysterious youth perplexed. It is like an equation the sand demon thought he knew, but was wrong. "Ghost?" the crimson hair child asks with almost no curiosity at all. "Demon?" is the terse, curious and almost cynical reply of the hooded adversary. The two show no apparent reactions, but the atmosphere feels like the receding tide right before a tsunami. "Gaara don't put on such a moody tone at such festive occasion. Enjoy yourself more." Temari tries to plead with her youngest brother. The pair of green blue orbs takes view of the blonde kunoichi. The two pupils switch between the couple until his monotone voice mutter out "Payback?" to the hooded figure. The shrouded shinobi only gives a shrug of his shoulders as the answer. The two past rivals only silently stare at one another. Nothing is said, but in that soundless peace it seems a thousand words are mentally exchanged between the two. "I'm leaving." the tattooed boy states finally moving away from his sister and her escort. "Wait your not staying here? Where are you going then?"

"No. I'm going to train. It's becoming irritating that sound shinobi are surviving my sand." Shukaku's vessel replies and leaves just as silently just he arrived. Wiping a bang and sweat out of her brow, Temari lets out a sigh of relief. Things may have not turned out the best with her brother but it could have turned out worse. Worst scenario, death to Dosu and her. Now would be the time for her and her date to leave. Gaara has already figured out Dosu's identity. It's only a good thing he has little care for any business other than his own. Still anyone else finding out could mean disastrous. "Let's leave and find something else to do.", the kunoichi states with a smirk. Their absence from this social gathering of big wigs marks the end of the twentieth note.

The twenty-first note begins with Temari's analytical mind trying to figure out of where to carry this mysterious ninja to. Walking by his side, she grows a bit bold and tries to reach out for his palm. That is what couples do right? The girl did not get the reaction that she would have liked. His arm lurches away as if been burnt. The kunoichi gives him a bewildered look. "Sorry, but I'm still a little skeptical of this situation. What are you trying to gain?" his voice lurks out of the hood. His accomplice blushes a bit and turns her head towards three kids playing some ninja game. "What makes you think something is up? Can't two people just enjoy themselves?"

"Maybe if one isn't from an enemy village, then yes."

"Are you afraid that I've tricked you somehow?"

"Yes. It crossed my mind."

"Well I'm not. There is no double cross. Just enjoy the rest of the night and you'll get your answer.

"…fine. Then show me around."

The twenty-second note rings as the two warriors walk through the sandy village. The gold hair kunoichi has much fun teaching her once adversary about some of the customs, traditions, beliefs and music of the sand village. With the sand slightly dancing in the night air and lights of the rock houses making the town look like a collection of stars on earth, the two went through different stores. Weapons stores, book stores, clothes stores, music stores, stores that she liked, stores that she didn't like. Anything to impress the hidden boy. Her days of watching what other couples did and went paid off, although not fully. The systematic mind of the Temari still tosses over between the warrior and woman. A warrior like her shouldn't be doing this. A warrior should be training, honing skills, learning new battle techniques. Yet these new feminine feelings compel the kunoichi to do things she would consider forbidden to her warrior code. Things like wearing a slight bit of eye shadow and lipstick. Trying to giggle at a few things that she would usually snort off. He may have not been a normal boy, but still better safe than sorry. With the night still going, the kunoichi finds her coming short of words. She's showed him most of the village and discussed many things. Mostly about her since the shaded ninja did not delve too much into his personal feelings and history. He was not one to just start up a conversation. With nothing to say the diva creates another idea quickly. Not one of the best ideas, but she has seen couples do it during her time in preparation for this night.

This is why the twenty-third note is a bit slurred. "You want a drink?" Temari asks which takes Dosu off guard. "He's sophisticated and classy, so I need to show him I'm just the same. Not just some brawler." the diva contemplates to her. Knowing already the meaning behind the words the masked ninja only asks "You sure a princess like you is up for that?"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?" the teal eye girl lies. In actuality her lips have never had the taste of alcohol, but tonight for the will of a good impression she let the wine slip down her throat.

Note twenty-three slurs right into twenty-four after the kunoichi gets her second glass. By half of her third glass the mummy like ninja could tell that his date is a lightweight. The sudden giggling and blush in the face are the two biggest revelations. It is still surprising to him because he is on his fourth, going on fifth, and not feeling anything. That marks the end of the drinking for the night. Yet it would be a shame for the rest of the bottle to go to waste. So the hooded figure puts the rest into a jug. He would not finish it off, but the single bodied twins enjoyed this flavor of wine. It would be his good deed of the year to them.

Twenty-five is a mixture of a slur and sharp note. Carrying a little jug in one hand and semi trashed royalty in the other; he trudges along to what hopefully is the kunoichi's home. Taking directions from a drunkard is never a good thing, but the only thing he could count on at the moment. What Dosu did not count on is the appearance of the tattooed sibling. He did not mean to approach the two again for the rest of the night. His mind is on making sure that no more of those pesky Oto citizens escape from his desert burial. Two was enough. Now his dark cyan eyes see this shady figure holding his sister by her waist while she looks as if she were drugged. Maybe it was the words the other demonic vessel had said to him when they were in battle. Maybe it was their sensei's order to make sure nothing happened to his sister. Maybe it is Shukaku's urging for blood. Perhaps for the first time ever in his life Gaara, for just this moment felt the brotherly instinct to make sure no harm would come to his sister. Whatever reason the emotionless face takes a sip of a jug of water he carried because of the intense training earlier that night. Now became the time to act.

Note twenty-six makes Dosu remember a familiar situation from back in the village of dancing leaves. His body wrapped in sand contracting him like a constrictor right before it devours its prey. The trapped ninja could only ask himself what made him not break his promise and actually arrive in this village. "Can't we talk this over?" the hooded Oto citizen asks. The sand tightens a bit more. "She did it to herself." the sand only compresses more and the conversation is leading nowhere to a safe haven for the mysterious melody. "I don't believe you." the desert demon coldly states, picking back up his jug and taking a gulp of the water inside. What the ethereal child did not realize is that in his quick action to subdue and kill the infiltrator to his sister's heart, he dropped his jug of water and Dosu dropped his jug and the girl. The container Gaara drinks from is not his….

After five minutes of the Rice Country representative trying to delay the inevitable, the vice grip of sand releases and the twenty-seventh note plays. The badger like boy staggers and sways a bit back and forth. The hooded foreigner is a bit confused until he sees one of the jugs is empty. "Just great…." the teen mutters rubbing his hidden forehead with a sleeve. This is becoming too bothersome for him. Really what is up with this family of cruiserweights? No time to really ponder that because a wave of sand is quickly approaching.

Eight minutes later on the twenty-eighth note the hidden melody is carrying two thirds of Suna's most prized children. He could only be happy that the blood lusting child had enough alcohol in his system to put him to sleep quickly. Only thing to deal with is a now sobering up kunoichi. Not trusting the kunoichi's drunken directions of 'taking a left then ask the deer and follow its shadow to get back home.' Dosu decided to carry them both back to the roof top of his first battle between him and his date. A few drinks of water get the tenacious diva back to her normal state although her face is still blushed. He gently discarded her brother to the side hoping that sleeping is his only action for the rest of the night. "Ughh. I can't believe that just happened…" the sober girl mutters to herself, rubbing her head. "Yes. That was surprising. I didn't think you and your brother were such lightweights. Heh. If I only knew before, that could have avoided a lot of problems I had back in Konoha with him. You two probably shouldn't be drinking."

"Don't talk down to me like you're my father. It was mistake ok. I didn't think it would be so strong."

"You're right. You didn't think. I'm from an enemy village. In that little time frame I could have killed you. I'm starting to wonder if you're the same ninja I battled over a month ago."

Temari just lets out a defiant snort and takes a seat away from her scolder, placing a palm below and turning her chin away from Dosu. She didn't need to be treated like a two year old. The silence for the next few minutes is the beginning of the twenty-ninth note. The boy also takes a seat near his escort, staring up into the sky at the moon. It radiates similarly like their first encounter. The lost melody and desert rose side by side. One considering how everything went wrong in a few minutes. The other trying to figure out just how this all started. "Are you ever planning to tell me just why I had to be the one here tonight? I'm sure there are a lot of other fine people in Suna that you could have chosen." his voice breathes out. The cyan eyes of the sand rose look up toward the moon trying to find a response. "Is it impossible to believe that I wanted you to join me tonight?"

"Not impossible, but highly improbable."

"Is that what you believe?"

"It's what I know."

"Why do you think that?"

"Well just look at me."

"Because you're from Rice Country?"

"Exactly. Heh. I'd think you would say it was because of the bandages."

"If it really was about that I don't think you would have changed your attire."

"Now you're thinking."

The somewhat stilted conversation continues into the thirtieth note. Dosu enjoys keeping the girl guessing when she asks a question although he finds it harder than usual to keep the information about him a secret. Like him, Temari's an analyst. One who once is at a task will assess the situation attack and if that didn't work then find another, better method. She'd ask the same question in multiple ways almost claiming an answer to an issue. The hooded shinobi is also in the same position. Attacking with a barrage of different questions to find one answer. "You know. That night almost a month ago was probably the first time I ever celebrated Valentine's.", the princess of Suna lets out mistakenly. She still holds on to her tough exterior despite the pleasant attire adorned. Her accomplice gives out a slight chuckle. "So is that supposed to mean you want to celebrate more Valentines?"

"Maybe. A normal one. Don't get me wrong. My first Valentine's was great, but there is more to me than just a fighter."

"I can see that."

"You can?"

The hooded ninja moves closer to Temari, unveiling his hood. This surprises the Wind Country diva well only a little. No one has actually been able to see his face for the entire night. Her systematic mind perceived that he had come without any bandages on thus one of the main reasons for hiding his features. Truth is told he did not arrive with bandages. Instead though he had on a mask similar to what leaf's copy ninja wears, but only in black. Across his head is a bandanna that would usually have the metal plate of a village, but is blank. It is tied around his head and across his right eye, leaving only the taupe left pupil for the world. He changed his attire, but still covered most of his features. The sand kunoichi let out a sigh of disappointment and does not realize when his hands move behind her head and gently clutch the top of her golden locks, twisting them together so the hair between his palms were almost like the two top pony tails of the desert rose's normal hairstyle. "What I want to see is the same person who I fought before and not a false image." the melodious ninja states with what could be assumed as a grin, although that could be anyone's guess. She gazes back up at the sound shinobi entranced and could only wonder what could be hidden below the cloth. The warrior in her wants to stop, yet the new awoken girl wants to delve more into these new feelings. If only she could discover him under his mask. Before anything else could be done a voice is heard which startles both shinobi.

And also leads into the end of this musical piece. The thirty-first does not play like the other notes. Fate has decided to play a discord for this note in the form of both Kankuro and Baki. "Good work Temari. You've managed to retain this ninja for us long enough to interrogate." the jounin states that gets a reaction out of two before him. Temari is bewildered by this turn of events. How her sensei came to this conclusion is a mystery in itself. Dosu on the other hand turned a malicious stare at the kunoichi at the side of him. A broken promise and a clutter of lies and falsehoods have made the lost melody borderline paranoid when it came to trusting others. This new incident has gotten the shinobi to quickly analyze the situation. He'd been lied to. The desert teacher came to his own ideas in thinking he knew his student well enough. Why else would she dance and spend time with an enemy ninja? She must have been trying to seduce information out of him. If the elder sand warrior only knew how far away from the truth he was. Yet the damage has already been done.

"Hmmm. I'll give you credit. You had me fooled and that's not easy. I guess you were false all along..." this last speech of Dosu plays the last note, note thirty-two, of this song in Suna. Temari tries to explain her innocence in this pandemonium, but it's too late. Baki orders the middle child of the trio to retrieve the enemy, in which the face painted boy only mutters how he could be spending time with his date. Dosu leaps off the roof, followed by the puppeteer and one of his creations, leaving a teacher carrying a passed out student and one sullen woman.

So ends the desert melody. A week had passed since the event. The sand flower went along with her teachers allegations that she was trying to seduce the enemy into a false sense of security for interrogation. She did not cry when he left. She did not mutter any feelings about the sound ninja when Kankuro banter her about him. She barely remembered all of the night they had spent a week ago. Temari is a warrior she did not need such things, like emotions, holding her back.

Temari is also a tactician. See the kunoichi did not need to be dismal because a plan is already devising in her mind. The warrior within has enough skill to create the idea and the woman also within has the drive to go through with it. See Dosu may not be accepted into Suna. The bandaged shinobi may never come back to Wind Country. It's ok. He may not be able to return to sand, but it doesn't mean Temari can't go to sound.


End file.
